December 7, 2012
Rabble.ca – Ian Beeching
The human cost of Jason Kenney’s refugee health cuts
It may be that much of the new immigration policy in C-31 is coming from a Jason Kenny visit to Australia two years ago. “Borrowing from Australia’s refugee system, says Beeching, “the Harper government used the Tamil case to shift Canada’s refugee policies decidedly to the right.” http://rabble.ca/news/2012/12/kenneys-cuts-hurt#.UMAQHfNexhA.twitter
CTV News
Canadian authorities bust Romanian human smuggling ring
40 Romanians are the first to be subjected to mandatory detention as “irregular arrivals.” 45 more are believed to have cross the US border into Canada since February. The news report is followed by Jason Kenny who appears on Power Play with Don Martin. http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canadian-authorities-bust-romanian-human-smuggling-ring-1.1066816
CBC News:
Romanian human smuggling ring busted in Ontario
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/12/05/pol-human-trafficking-bust.html (Several related videos as well as the news story.)
No one is illegal (Toronto) –
Immigration Detention: Private prisons; Endless sentences; Ruthless treatment
According to this site from 2004 until 2011, 82,000 immigrants / refuges have been held in prison; since 2011, they add another 13,000 to the total. The most recent and first application of the new law has 40 more in custody and 45 sought; among the current 85 in total 35 are minors. Mandatory detention is now the law for all “irregular arrivals.” Deportations, according to the summary of this monitor, have now reached over 15,000 a year or 40 per day. http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/ImmigrationDetention2012
CBC Doc zone – Anna Marie MacDonald
Tales from Kingston Pen
Thursday December 6, 2012 AT 9:00 PM on CBC-TV
Saturday December 8 at 11 pm ET on CBC News Network
Global TV (SK) – Canadian Press
Court for mentally ill offenders could ease police burden: U of S study
Principal investigator Arlene Kent-Wilkinson says that in northern and remote communities police are often serving as social workers to the mentally ill. The “court” could rotate through small communities or be held via video in a larger centre to solve problems and divert the mentally ill from the criminal justice system. http://www.globalsaskatoon.com/court+for+mentally+ill+offenders+could+ease+police+burden+u+of+s+study/6442766940/story.html
UK Ministry of Justice –
A restorative justice system – the view from the bench
Lawrence Kershen QC, says “we need to give ourselves permission to dream of a justice system where healing and changing behaviour is central.” Judges, his experience, tended to look for remorse when they were sentencing in criminal cases. But the process ignores “the victim’s needs are for information, validation, vindication, restitution, testimony, safety and support.” http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/features/a-restorative-justice-system-the-view-from-the-bench Full text of the article from the Law Gazette: http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/opinion/comment/making-justice-systems-more-restorative-a-view-bench
NBC News (N.Y.) – Shimon Prokupecz and Jonathan Dienst
Gangs’ “Community Guns” Make it Harder to Catch Shooters, Police Say
The US has long advocated the right to bear arms; some states even allow one to carry concealed guns. Now in N.Y., according to this NBC News report, there is a whole new problem: community guns, available on request. “Criminal gangs in parts of New York City are getting increasingly savvy at carrying out violent crimes and eluding police detection, thanks to a practice of hiding and sharing so-called “community guns,” police and prosecutors say.” http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/Community-Guns-NYC-Gang-Members-Bronx-Hiding-Weapons-Prosecutors-Conspiracy-Laws-182298291.html
HQ Comox Valley-on-line – Campbell River (BC) – Carmen Weld
Father Who Stabbed Son 27 Times Not Criminally Responsible
This tragic case illustrates the Not-criminally-responsible-mental disorder finding of a court when crown, defense and judge concur in the finding of mental illness. Defense attorney Robert Mulligan said “it is important that public does not think that Warren ‘got off easy’ but just that he is serving a different, often longer and more difficult form of sentence.” http://hqcomoxvalley.com/news/news/Local/2012/12/05/Father-Who-Stabbed-Son-27-Times-Not-Criminally-Responsible
CBC News –
Homicide rates in Canada rise 7% . Firearm deaths at lowest level in almost 50 years as killers favour the blade
Overall, the homicide rate was 1.73 per 100,000 population in 2011, seven per cent higher than in 2010, Statistics Canada said. Winnipeg, Halifax and Edmonton top the list as murder cities in Canada, and the knife has replaced guns as the weapon of choice. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/12/04/homicides-statistics-canada-2011.html